Automatic type-writer operator.



L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. I9I2.

Patented May 2, 1916.

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BY ATTORNE L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, I912.

Patented May 2, 1916.

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AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16.1912.

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L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 16,1912.

Patented May 2, 1916.

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WITNESSES:

L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FiLED NOV. 16, 1912.

1,181,957. Patented May 2,1916.

8 SHEETSSHEET 5.

UCICIDUDUDDDIJD L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16,1912.

INVENTOR? 4 %ZM:

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Patented May 2, 1916.

L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16,1912.

1 1 8 1 ,957. Patented May 2, 1916.

8 SHEETSSHEET 7.

Underwood T pewrlcer Co. 0 60 Vesey St.

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WITNESS INVENTOR:

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ATTORNE L. R. ROBERTS.

AUTOMATIC TYPE WRITER OPERATOR.

APPLICATION man NOV. 16. 1912.

1 1 8 1 ,957. Patented May 2, 1916.

B SHEETS-SHEET 8.

W|TNESSE& IG. luvsnTom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN R. ROBERTS, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC TYPE-WRITER OPERATOR.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed November 1a, 1912. Serial No. 731,703.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN R. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Type-1V riter Operators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic operators for typewriters,'and covers certain improvements on patent to Roberts and Davis, No. 1,109,597, granted September 1, 1914, and on my applications Nos. 646,975, filed August 31, 1911; and 680,586, filed Febru ary 29, 1912.

In my above-mentioned patent and applications, I showed how a typewriter could be operated to automatically duplicate a given piece of work, such as a letter, making individual insertions in each letter, such as different names and addresses. I also showed how a series of envelops could be automatically supplied to the platen of the typewriter, properly positioned thereon, and a series of different addresses printed by the typewriter on the successive envelops. In typewriting the names and addresses I have shown how a master-member in the form of perforated cards, one individual to each name and address, could be used to control the automatic operator.

In a follow-up mail system in which circular letters, such as this machine produces, are used, it is often desirable to know when the different persons on the mailing list were written to, and what particular type of letter was sent to them at that date.

It is therefore an object of this invention to enable the typewriter operator to automatically produce a record which may include the date of sending a letter and the particular kind of letter by printing on each master-card while in the operator a telltale inscription which may include the date and some code letter or numeral. This object may be accomplished by providing an automatic stamp which will be actuated as one master-card is substituted for another to imprint on each card the desired inscrip tion. Inasmuch as the printing is done while the card is in motion, allowance may be made for the movement of the stamp with the card at the instant of contact therewith. In order that a number of different inscriptions may be written on each card to denote the sending of different letters at different dates to the same person, the actuating mechanism for the stamp may be adjusted so that it will print at a different instant in the action of substitution of one card for another and at a different point on the card. The master-cards may have their general uniform character interrupted in any suitable manner at a number of points corresponding to various operations of the auto matic operator, and in this instance such lnterruption takes the form of perforations. These perforations may correspond in each case to a certain name and address. The same name and address may be visibly represented on the card as by printing or typewriting, so that what the card represents can be read at a glance without the necessity of translating the meaning of the perforations.

In my application No. 680,586, abovementioned, showed the master-cards as indirectly controlling the admission of air to their tracker through the intermediary of pin-bar actuated stops. In this case I provide an arrangement whereby the cards themselves form valves which intermittently open and close theapertures of a secondary tracker connected to their primary tracker so that air can be admitted intermittently to the corresponding actuators according to a predetermined sequence as represented by the perforations of the cards.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a detached perspective view of the cardfeeding and substituting mechanism governing the printing of different inserts, such as different names and addresses. Fig. 2 is a. perspective view taken from the opposite side of 'that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2, taken from front to rear. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the envelop-feed attachment, whereby the envelops may be sup-plied to the platen of the typewriter and properly positioned thereon. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken throu h the secondary tracker showing the relation of a master-card with res ect to this tracker and the pressure-roller whlch holds the card snugly in position on the face of the tracker. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in rear elevation of the cardsubstituting and feeding mechanism. Fig. 7 is a skeleton perspective view of the auto matic printing attachment which inscribes on each master-card the date of writing the letter and the code letter or numeral representing a particular type of letter written. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the stamp at the point of printing. Fi 9 is a detail perspective view of the guide for the printing portion of the stamp, showing the means whereby the stamp can follow down with the card when in printing contact with the card during the substituting motion of the card. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the endless master-sheet which controls the supplying and positioning of envelops with respect to the platen. Fig. 11

- is a detail section showing how the pneumatic actuator which controls the substitution of one master-card for another is directly controlled from the secondary tracker by the master-card itself, and also showing one of the pneumatic controls which may be used to illustrate any of the pneumatic controls. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section showing thefeeding means for feeding the master-cards past the secondary tracker and showing this feeding means in its active relation as distinguished from Fig. 11, in which the same feeding means is shown in its inactive relation. Fig. 13 is a view of a master-card. Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view showing certain elements of the cardsubstituting mechanism, and with one of the racks thereon out of mesh with its actuating gear just as the rack is returning upward to its normal position after having forced a fresh car down in place of one which'has performed its function. Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing in general the automatic operator with the card-address attachment, and also showing the control-shifting mechanism whereby the automatic operator is first governed from one tracker and then from the other. Fig. 16 is a detail sectional view showing the stamp with the type carrier detached from its guide and swung up to a position wherein the type in the carrier can be readily removed and changed for a different telltale inscription, and Fig. 17'is a detail plan view of the type carrier showing the means of securing the type in position.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of this invention as embodied in the form shown in the drawings, 1 indicates a typewriter which may be of any suitable form such as the Underwood, and is arranged to be operated by an automatic operator 2. The keys 3 of the typewriter-are struck by hammers 4, which are operated by pneumatic actuators 5. These pneumatic actuators are connected so as to be controlled from either one of two primary trackers 6 and 7, which for the purpose of distinction, may be termed respectively the upper tracker and the lower tracker. Each pneumatic actuator includes a collapsible bellows motor 8 and a pneumatic control 9 connected by branch Y-pipes 10 to the trackers 6 and 7. The pneumatic control 9 may be similar to that shown and described in the patent and applications above-mentioned, and one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 11. In order that the operation may be clear, it will be well at this point to describe in detail the action of one pneumatic control.

The passage of air into the pipes 10 is, controlled at the trackers 6 and 7 by suitable master members perforated at predetermined intervals according to a certain sequence, so as to give a definite sequence of actions of the pneumatic actuators 5, and thus of the parts of the typewriter. The air coming through the pipes 10 passes into a chamber 11 (see Fig. 11), which is separated from a suction or vacuum chamber 12 by a flexible diaphragm 13. Under normal conditions the chamber 11. is also under suction, inasmuch as it is connected to the vacuum chamber 12 by a bleed opening 14 in the diaphragm 13. As soon, however, as the air comes into the chamber 11, it forces the diaphragm 13 upward, carrying with it a valve stem 15 on which is mounted a valve 16 arranged to close an opening 17 in a partition 18, which separates the vacuum chamber 12 from a chamber 19. The chamber 19 is normally closed to outside atmospheric pressure by a valve 20, which is also raised by the valve rod 15 at this time, so as to permit air to enter the chamber 19 through an opening 21 in the top of the chamber 19. The chamber 19 is connected by a pipe 22 to a bottom chamber 23, so that when the valve 20 is in its lower position, the chamber 23 will be connected to the vacuum chamber 12, so as to hold a diaphragm 24 which separates chamber 23 from the vacuum chamber 12 in its lowermost position. However,

when air enters the chamber 19, it will also enter the chamber 23, so as to raise the diaphragm 24 and carry with it a valve rod 25. The valve rod 25 is provided with a valve 26 normally closing an opening 27 in a par tition 28, which separates the vacuum chamber 12 from a chamber 29. Valve rod 25 is collapse the latter and cause it to actuate whatever part it happens to be connected with.

As stated above, each tracker has its openings closed and opened by one or more perforated master members, so that each tracker with its controlling master member may be termed a control set. One of these control sets, such as that indicated by the tracker at 7, may be used to write the body of a letter as in Patent No. 1,109,597 above mentioned, and the other for placing inserts such as different names and addresses in each letter. In this case, however, the lower control set is shown to govern the supply and feeding of envelops to the typewriter, while the upper control set is used to control the writing of different names and addresses on the envelops thus supplied to the typewriter. In either case, the lower control set is provided with an endless master sheet 34, so that it may be run over and over again past the tracker 7, to reproduce a given sequence of actions, as represented by the perforations in the master sheet, as often as desired. To accomplish this, the master sheet 34 is held across the face of the tracker 7 by a pair of rollers 35 and 36, one of which may also be used to feed the master sheet. In this case, the upper roller 35 is used as a feeding roller and is provided with a pinion 36 arranged to be engaged by a gear 37 which is secured to a shaft 38 mounted on a rocker arm 39. The shaft 38 also has secured thereto a gear 40 which meshes with a pinion 41 on a shaft 42, which besides driving the pinion 41, forms a pivotal support for the rocker arm 39. The rocker arm 39 is turned up at the end oppo site to that which supports the gears 37 and 40, so that it may be readily engaged by a pin 43 on a shifting lever 44. This pin, when it engages the rocker arm 39 in the position shown in Fig. 15, lifts the gear 37 out of mesh with the gear 36', so that the master sheet 34 is inactive. When the lever 44 is shifted, however, to its opposite throw, the gear 37 is permitted to come-in mesh with the gear 36', so as to drive the latter and thus feed the master sheet 34. The shifter 44 not only controls the rocker arm 39, but also acts through a pin 45 to shift a rocker arm 46 mounted on a shaft 47. The shaft 47 has fixed thereon a pinion 48 meshing with a gear 49 on a shaft 50, which also carries a gear 51 arranged to drop in mesh with a gear 52 when the shifter 44 and the rocker arm 46 are in the position shown in Fig. 15. The gear 52 meshes with a gear 53, so as to drive the latter, and the gear 53 drives a gear 54 mounted on a shaft 55. As will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 12, shaft 55 is provided with a series of annular enlargements or rollers 56 which coiiperate with similar rollers 57 on a shaft 58 to feed a master card 59 between them. The shafts 55 and 58 are of mesh with the gear 60, and also likewise bring the rollers 57 into and out of contact with the master card 59. The shafts 42 and 47 have pulleys 63 and 62 which are connected by a belt (shown dotted) and the pulley 62 is driven in the manner shown and described in Patent No. 1,109,597 above mentioned, Irom a motor, by gearing indicated in general at 64. The master member in the form of a perforated card which, as mentioned above, may be fed by the feeding means comprising the shafts 55 and 58.with their enlarged rollers 56 and 57, is not however fed past the primary tracker 6, but is fed past a secondary tracker 65. This tracker65 is provided with a frontal 66 across the face of which the cards 59 are fed to bring the perforations successively in mgister with the apertures in the frontal. The secondary tracker 65 is also provided with an apertured dorsal 67 which is arranged to abut against the primary tracker 6, so that the apertures therein register with the apertures in the primary tracker. In order that there may be an air-tight fit between the dorsal 67 and the primary tracker 6, there is interposed between them an apertured packing strip 68, which may be of any sultable material such as felt, chamois, or the like, and may, if desired, be inset slightly in one or the other of the apertured members, for example, as shown, in the dorsal 67. The apertures of the frontal 66 are somewhat closely arranged while the apertures in the dorsal 67 are more widely spread apart. The apertures in the frontal, however, are connected with the apertures in the dorsal by spreading pipes 69 to allow for this difference in spacing. This will be more clearly seen by reference to Fig. 5.

In order that the master card 59 may fit snugly across the face of the secondary tracker 65, so as to form an air-tight connection therewith, there is provided a pressure roller 7 0, which is formed with a series of annular ridges 71, forming therebetween annular air channels 72. It will be noted that these air channels are arranged in register with or apposition to the apertures in the frontal of the secondary tracker 65, so that when perforations in the master card come in register with apertures in the secondary tracker, the air will readily pass through the card into the tracker. The pressure roller 70 is mounted on pivotal arms 73, and is normally held against the master card 59, in position between the roller and the tracker 65, by springs 74.

Only one of the control sets should be in action at a time, as it is not desired to control ,the conflicting actuating mechanism at one and the same time. The shift from one control set to the other control set is controlled in each case from the active master member which is provided with a perforation for this purpose. To this end the master member 34, as will be seen by reference to Fi 10, is provided with a perforation 75 which comes in register with a corresponding aperture in the tracker 7, so as to admit air to the pneumatic control 76 of a pneumatic actuator 77. This pneumatic actuator has the usual bellows motor 78, which when collapsed, rocks a bell crank 79 to shoot forward a plunger 80 arranged with one end in apposition to a pin 81 on the shifting lever 44. This will shift the lever 44 into the position shown in Fig. 15, so that the gear 37 is moved out of mesh with the gear 36, permitting the master sheet 34 to remain stationary while the gear 51 drops into mesh with the gear 52 to drive the feed rollers 56 and 57. Similarly each master card 59 is provided with a perforation 87 (Fig. 13) which when it comes in register with the corresponding aperture in the secondary tracker 65, will admit air to a pneumatic control 82 to collapse a pneumatic bellows motor 83 which rocks a bell crank 84 to swing forward a plunger 85, which engages a pin 86 also mounted on the shifter 44 but on the opposite side of the pivot thereof from the pin 81. The action of this pneumatic actuator will bring the shifter 44 back to a position opposite to that shown in Fig. 15, so that the upper feeding control for the master cards is thrown out of action, and the lower feeding control for the master sheet 34 is thrown into action. When the lower feeding control is in action, the master sheet 34 will be fed past the tracker 7, so as tobring opposite a corresponding aperture in this tracker a perforation 88, which admits air through a pneumatic control 89 (Fig. 4) so as to enable the bellows motor 90, which forms with the pneumatic control 89 a pneumatic actuator, to be collapsed to draw down a link 91, which as described in my application No. 680,586, filed February 29, 1912, rocks an envelop feeder 92 to strip the front one of a pack of envelops 93 from its fellows, and supply it to the bite of the platen 94 of the typewriter 1. When this occurs, the master sheet 34 will have been fed around far enough to bring the next perforation 95 (Fig. 10) in register with the corresponding aperture 7, so that air will be admitted to a pneumatic control 96 (Fig. 4) which forms with a collapsible bellows motor 97 a pneumatic actuator, for rotating the platen 94 to bring the envelop just fed to it, to a proper position to receive an address thereon. To accomplish this, the 'bellows motor 97 is connected by a link 98 to a swinging arm 99 having a projection 100 arranged to overlie a lever 101 when the carriage is in its initial position at the beginning of a line. The lever 101 carries a pawl 102 to engage a ratchet wheel 103 to rotate the platen 94. There may be a number of these perforations 95 in the master sheet 34, so as to give several intermittent movements to the platen 94, whereby the envelop on the platen will be fed around to bring the proper point thereon opposite the prlnting point of the typewriter. When the new envelop is in position, it is, of course, necessary to rint a different address thereon than was printed on the preceding envelop under the control of the master card previously controlling the pneumatic actuators from the upper control set at the secondary tracker 65. It is therefore evident that a new master card must be substituted for the one previously in control. To accomplish this while the envelop is being supplied to the platen and properly positioned thereon, a new card is put in place of the old one so that when the upper control set once more starts into action, it will be feeding a new master card past the tracker. This change of cards is effected by providing what may be termed a card substitutor indicated in general at 104, which takes the cards one by one from an adjustable card holder 105 and passes them down to a position extending across the face 66 of the secondary tracker 65. The card substitutor 104 is guided for vertical movement and is shown to include a slide 106 (Fig. 3) havin an overhanging ridge 107, which is of su cient magnitude to just engage the top edge of the foremost one of the pack of master cards 59.

Rotatably mounted on the slide 106 there is provided a shaft 108 which is provided at its opposite ends with pinions 109 arranged to be engaged by a pair of racks 110 fixed to the card holder 105, so as to force the slide to maintain an even justified position during its downward movement in substituting one card for another.

Pivotally mounted on the slide 106 on opposite sides thereof at 111, there is provided a air of swinging racks 112 (Figs. 3 and 14) which are arranged in apposition to a pair of gears 113 secured to a shaft 114, so

that they can be brought in mesh with said gears to be fed downward by the rotation of said gears, and thus draw said slide downward. The shaft 114 has on its outer end a gear 115 which meshes with a gear 116 driven by a gear 117 which in turn is driven by the gear 49 (Figs. 2, 6 and 15). It will be seen that inasmuch as the gear 49 is always driven, the shaft 114 and the gears 113 thereon will also be always driven. The racks 112, however are only in mesh with gears 113 when it is desired to substitute one card for another. In order to bring the racks 112 into engagement with the gears 113, there is provided a pair of shifters 118 having rollers 119 bearing on the backside of the racks 112. Spring-pressed latches 120 normally hold notches 121 thereof in engagement with pins 122 on the shifters 118, so as to maintain the shifters 118 out of such a position that they would force the racks 112 into mesh with the gears 113. The racks 112 are positively forced out of mesh with gears 113 by means of springs 123 (Fig. 3) which are connected to arms 124 engaging links 125 which are pivotally connected at their upper ends to short arms 126 forming with the racks 112 bell crank levers. It will be seen that these s rings 123 normally tend to rock the rac s 112 to their position out of engagement with the gears When one card has completed its work in controlling the printing of a name and address upon an envelop in the typewriter, it brings at this instant a perforation 127 (Fig. 13) into register with the corresponding aperture in the secondary tracker 65, which aperture is connected directly from the frontal 66, and not through the intermediary of the primary tracker 6, by means of a pipe 128 to a pneumatic control 129 which forms with the bellows motor 130 a pneumatic actuator. The bellows motor 130 is connected by a link 131 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6) to an arm 132 on a rock shaft 133. This rock shaft 133 is provided at its opposite ends with a pair of arms 134 whichengage pins 135 on the shifters 118. It Wlll thus be seen that when the bellows motor 130 is collapsed, it will rock the shaft 133 to rock the shifters 118 against the tension of springs 136, whereby they in turn will force the racks 112 against the tension of the springs 123, into mesh with the constantly rotating gears 113. The shifters 118 w1ll be held in this position by the latches 120 which are provided with other sockets 137 to engage. and hold the pins 122 in their new position. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, that as the racks 112 move downwardly, they carry the slide 106 down with them, so that these parts which form the card substitutor force a new card before them, which in turn engages the top edge of the previous card, and forces it out from the bottom of a guide 138, so that it falls against a deflector 139 (Fig. 15) into a receptacle 140. The new card is fed down until a blank portion of its lower edge covers all of the apertures in the secondary tracker 65. When this point is reached, pins 141 (F ig. 14) will come into engagement with the latches 120, and trip them, so that the racks 112 will be drawn out of mesh with the gears 113 by the springs 123. The springs 123 will then act to return the card substitutor including the slide 106 and the racks 112, to its normal uppermost position.

Inasmuch as the openings 87 and 127 (Fig. 13) of the master card are on a transverse line with each other, they will start the action of the lower control set and also the action of the card substitutor at the same time, so that a new envelop will be supplied to the typewriter, and a new master card brought in position in place of the old one at one and the same time. The action of the card substitutor will be slightly quicker than that of the envelop-feeding mechanism, but by the time the card substitutor has placed a new card in position and returned to its starting point, the aperture 75 in the master sheet 34 will have come into register with the corresponding aperture in the tracker 7, so that the shifter 44 will be forced into the position shown in Fig. 15, thereby disconnecting the driving and feeding mechanism for the master sheet 34, and connecting the feeding mechanism for the master cards, so that they can be gradually fed past the secondary tracker 65. The card substitutor, however, cannot come into action until the driving connections for the card feeding means are thrown out of action, or in other words, the envelop feeding mechanism is started into action. To this end, there is provided a locking arm 142 pivoted at 143, and bearing at 144 on the rocker arm 46, so that when the rocker arm 46 is shifted to bring the gear 51 out of mesh with the gear 52 in silencing the card feeding rollers 56 and 57, this locking arm 142 will be rocked from its locking position shown in Fig. 15 against the tension of a spring 145, so as to drop a pin 146 on the free end of the locking arm 142 out of the path of a projection 147 on an arm 148, which is secured to the rock shaft 133. It will thus be evident that so long as the gears 51 and 52 are in mesh, so that the feeding rollers 56 and 57 are driven, then the pin 146 will lie in the path of the projection 147 on the lever 148, so that the pneumatic bellows motor 130 cannot collapse to rock the shaft 133, and thus cannot cause the rack bars 112 to mesh with the gears 113. However, when the rocker arm 46 is swung by the shifter 44 to disconnect the gears 51 and 52, the pin 146 will move out of the path of the projection 147, so that the pneumatic bellows motor 130 can act to bring about an engagement of the racks 112 with the gears 113. When this occurs, the drive to the shafts 55 and 58 and their rollers 56 and 57 will be stopped.

When the substitutor feeds a new card downward, it is advisable to move the rollers 56 and 57 apart, so as to permit a new card to pass between them without any too 57 with the rollers 56, by means of one or more springs 149. The levers 59*, however, are provided with cam rollers 150, which when the card substitutor brings a new card down to a position between the rollers 56 and 57, are engaged by cam levers 151 actuated by the card substitutor through the intermediary of the arms 124 which are connected to the cam levers 151 by means of pin-and-slot connections 152. It will be seen that when the card substitutor returns to normal upper position, the cam levers 151 will move away from the cam rollers 150, permitting the springs 149 to once more bring the gear 61 in mesh with the gear 60, and the feed rollers 57 close to the feed rollers 56, squeezing the master card between them.

It is often desirable in follow-up business systems, in which such circular letters as the present machine is capable of reproducing are used, to keep a record of the dates when a particular letter is sent to a particular person. Arrangement is made in the present improvement whereby this record can be kept automaticallyon the master members which control the writing of the names and addresses of the various persons on the mailing list. To accomplish this, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 7, there is provided a printing stamp indicated in general at 153, which is arranged to place on each master card as it passes through the operator, a tell-tale inscription, which as will be seen by reference to Fig. 13, may include the date of addressing the letter as well as some code letter or numeral, in this case a letter, which indicates a particular kind of letter sent at that date to the party corresponding to the master card bearing the inscription. The stamp 153 includes a type carrier 154 supported so as to present the face of the type to one of a series of openings 155 in the guide casing 138 for the master card, so as to print on .each master card as it comes down to a position in front of the secondary tracker 65. The type carrier 154 is provided with a cavity on its type bearing end, in which the type indicated at 156 are held by an adjustable quoin or block 157. Type carrier 154 is pivotally mounted on a pair of arms 158 of a bell crank lever, and is normally held in a proper position with its type facing the opening 155 by means of springs 159, which hold a pin 160 up against the top edge of a channeled guide 161 (Figs. 8 and 9) in which it plays. It will be noted that the channeled guide 161 is secured by means of an adjustable clamp screw 162, which passes through an opening 163 in the guide 161, and is screwed into a frame 164 of the stamp, so that when the screw 162 is loosened, the guide 161 is free to swing down as in Fig. 16. This is to enable the carrier 154 to be swung clear of the guide 161, and faced upwardly, as shown in Fig. 16, so that the type can be changed in the carrier to correspond to a new date or other tell-tale inscription. The arms 158 which actuate and support the carrier 154, are secured to a shaft 165 which also has secured thereon an arm 166 to form a bell crank lever. Secured to the arm 166 there is provided a spring 167, which is secured at its opposite end to a bracket 168, so as to normally be under tension, tending to force the face of the type in the carrier 154 through an aperture 155 against the master card in position in the guide 138. In order to prevent this action, however, the shaft 165 extends through the frame 164 to a projecting position where it has secured thereon an arm 169. This arm engages a pin 170 on a locking bar 171. The locking bar has secured thereto a spring 172 which by its action through the intermediary of the arm 169 opposes the action of the spring 167 and inasmuch as spring 17 2 is stronger than the spring 167, the type carrier 154 will normally be held in its retracted position. To overcome the tension of the spring 172'so as to enable the spring 167 to actuate the type carrier 154, there is provided a trip 173 shown in the form of a lever secured to a pivoted rod 174, and having a slotted engagement with the pin 170 at one end, and provided with a follower roller 175 at the other end. The trip 173 is actuated by a cam 176 carried by the card substitutor 104 during the downward movement of the latter in replacing one card for another. The cam 176 is pivotally mounted on a support 177 and is provided with a flange or tongue 178 engaging the edge of the support so that the cam will not yield when it comes downwardly into engagement with the follower 17 5. On the return motion of the card substitutor, however, as the cam 17 6 strikes the follower 17 5, it is permitted to swing about its pivot against the tension of a spring 179, so as to pass ineffectively by the trip 173 without causing an actuation of the stamp 153. When the trip 173 is actuated to oppose the tension of the spring 17 2 and permit the action of the spring 167 it also forces an inking roller 180 up out of its normal position in front of the type in the carrier 154. To this end the roller 180 is mounted in a swinging frame 181 provided with a cam 182 resting on a pin 183 carried by the arm 171. The cam 182 is provided with a dwell portion or socket 184 which in the normal position of the inking roller rests on the pin 183 and forms a sort of lock, re-

tarding the action of the trip 173 so that when it does act, it will act with a snap, enabling the spring 167 to act with a snap. Cam 182 is so formed that it will be raised by the pin 183 and thus raise the inkin roller 180 from theposition shown in Fig. to the position shown in Fig. 8. Inasmuch as the printing action takes place during the downward motion of the new card by the card substitutor, allowance is made for a slight movement of the type 156 with the master card during the instant of printing. For this purpose the guide 161, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 8 and 9, is provided with a dip at 185, which will permlt a downward movement of the carrier against the tension of the springs 159.

Inasmuch as the master cards are generally used a number of different times to send different letters to the same party, it will be necessary to place a somewhat different inscription on the master card each time, and preferably at a different point on the card. To enable this, the cam 176 may be adjusted to vary the instant during the downward feed of the master card in the act of substituting, at which the printing takes place. For this purpose, the support 177 is adjustably mounted on the card substitutor by being provided with one or more screws 186, which are arranged to enter any one of a series of screw-threaded apertures 187 on a rail 188 of the card substitutor. There are enough of these apertures provided in the instance shown to enable ten different positions of adjustment of the cam 176 corresponding to ten different points of printing on the master card. These different points of printing are indicated by a scale from 1 to 10 on the rail 188, which coiiperates with the top edge of the support 177 to indicate at what particular point on the card the inscription will be prlnted, and also the number of the inscription. In Fig. 7, two inscriptions may already have been placed on the card, and the third will be placed on the card with the position of the cam 176 shown. A single vertical row of inscriptions may not be suiiicient, as it may be desired to use the master card'for a greater number of times. To allow for this, other rows of inscriptions may be printed on the master card by shifting the position of the stamp 153 transversely relative to the card. For this purpose the stamp 153 is detachably supported, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 7 by means of a plurality of screws 189 which pass through openings in the frame 164 of the stamp, and can engage any set of a plurality of openings 190 arranged along the top of the secondary tracker 65. To allow for this transverse adjustment of the printing means, so that a plurality of vertical columns of different inscriptions can be placed on each master card, the trip lever 173 is bi-parted, and the lower arm 191 thereof is adjustably secured to the rod 174 by means of a thumb screw 192, so that it can be adjusted along the rod 174 to still maintain its engagement with the pin 170 in any position of the printing stamp 153.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 13, the master cards are perforated to correspond to a given name and address, which name and address are also typewritten or printed on the card, so that the meaning of the perforation will be readily aseertainable at a glance. This enables the cards to be used in card indexes, keeping a record of the character and dates of letters sent to the party to which the card corresponds, and also enabling the cards to be shifted about in any order desired, and individually taken out and destroyed after their usefulness is at an end.

It will be seen that there is provided an automatic typewriter operator which will not only perform various functions necessary to the writing and addressing of letters in an automatic manner, but will also keep a record of the date at which the letters were sent to the various parties on the master cards which correspond to these parties, and will also keep a record of the particular type of letters which were sent to the parties on that date, the action being entirely automatic, independent of any constant care on the part of the attendant after having once started the machine into action.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of an automatic operator for a typewriter, and a plurality of interchangeable master-members for controlling the operations of said automatic operator, each of said master-members having its uniform character interrupted at a plurality of points corresponding to the operations of the several elements of the automatic operator, so as to actuate the various parts of a typewriter, two of said points causing respectively the complete substitution of a new master-member for the mastermember in action and the temporary shifting of the control of the automatic operator to a separate master-member, said two specially-mentioned points being on a transverse line with each other so as to come into action simultaneously.

2. The combination of an automatic operator for a typewriter, and a plurality of intel-changeable master-members for controlling the operations of said automatic operator, each of said master-members having its uniform character interrupted at a plurality of points corresponding to the operations of the several elements of the automatic operator, so as to actuate the various parts of a typewriter, two of said points causing respectively the complete substitution of a new master-member for the master-member in action and the temporary shifting of the control of the automatic operator to a separate master-member, said two speciallymentioned points being on a transverse line with each other so as to come into action simultaneously, all others of said points being on separate successive transverse lines soas to come into action during succeeding periods.

3. The combination of an automatic operator for a typewriter, and a plurality of interchangeable master-members for controlling the operations of said automatic operator, each of said master-members having a series of perforations therein corresponding to the operations of the severai elements of the automatic 0 erator so as to actuate the various parts 0 a typewriter, two of said perforations causin respectively the complete substitution 0 anew master-member for the master-member in action and the temporary shifting of the control of the automatic operator to a separate master-member, said two specially mentioned perforations being on the same transverse line so as to come into action simultaneously.

4. The combination of an automatic operator for a typewriter, and a plurality of interchangeable master-members for controlling the operations of said automatic operator, each of said master-members having a series of perforations therein corresponding to the operations of the several elements of the automatic operator so as to actuate the various parts of a typewriter, two of said perforations causing respectively the complete substitution of a new master-member for the master-member in action and the temporary shifting of the control of the automatic operator to a separate master-member, said two specially mentioned perforations being on the same transverse line so as to come into action simultaneously, all others of said perforations being on different transverse lines, so as to come into action during different periods.

5. The combination with printing means, of an address master-member for enabling said printing means to reproduce in writing the address to which said master-member corresponds, and recording means operating concomitantly with an action of said mastermember for registering on said master-member each time it is used to control the actuation of said printing means in reproducing the address to which it corresponds.

6. The combination with an automatic operator for a machine, of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to reproduce a definite sequence of operations of said machine, and a dating stamp for printin on said master-member the date on whic it passed through said operator, the action of said dating stamp and said master-member being interdependent so that if the one comes into lay the other comes into play also.

7. he combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations of said machine; and recording means operatedautomatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for making a marker sign on said master-member to indicate the taking place ofsuch passage.

8. The combination with an automatic operator for a machine, of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to reproduce a definite sequence of operations of said machine, and a dating stamp for printing on said master-member as it passes through said operator the date on which it passed through said operator; said dating stamp being adjustable as to the point it prints on said master-member so that every different date a master-member passes through said operator, a distinct record thereof can be placed on said master-member.

9. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations of said machine; and time-recording means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for designating when the operation of the machine by said operator took place.

10. The combination, with a primary tracker, and pneumatic actuators having controlling ducts leading thereto from the apertures in said tracker; of a secondary tracker abutting against the primary tracker and having its apertures in register with those therein; mechanism associated with the secondary tracker for feeding a master-member directly thereacross; and automatically-operated mechanism for supplying individual master-members one after another to said feeding mechanism.

11. The combination, with a primary tracker, and pneumatic actuators having controlling ducts leading thereto from the apertures in said tracker; of a secondary tracker abutting against the primary tracker and having its apertures in register with those therein; mechanism associated with the secondary tracker for feeding a master-member directly thereacross; and mechanism for supplying individual master-members one after another to said feeding mechanism, said supplying mechanism being brought into play automatically by each master-member during its period of activity.

12. The combination, with a primary tracker, and pneumatic actuators having controlling ducts leading thereto from the apertures in said tracker; of a secondary tracker abutting against the primary tracker and having its apertures in register with those therein; mechanism associated with the secondary tracker for feeding a master-member directly thereacross; and a device for automatically supplying new master-members one after another to said feeding means at predetermined intervals.

13. The combination, with a tracker, pneu matic actuators controlled thereby, and means for feeding a master-member across the face of said tracker; of automaticallyoperated mechanism for supplying individual master-members one after another to said feeding means.

14. The combination, with a tracker, pneumatic actuators controlled thereby, and,

means for feeding a master-member across the face of sald tracker; of mechanism for supplying individual master-members one after another to said feeding means, said supplying mechanism being brought into play automatically by each master-member during its period of activity.

15. The combination, with a tracker, pneumatic actuators controlled thereby, and means for feeding a master-member across the face of said tracker; of a device for automatically supplying new master-members one after another to said feeding means at predetermined intervals.

16. The combination, with an automatic machine operator comprising a primary tracker, and pneumatic actuators for the parts of the machine to be operated having ducts leading thereto from the apertures in the tracker; of an attachment for said operator comprising a secondary tracker abutting against the primary tracker and having its apertures in register with those therein; a feeding device associated with the secondary tracker for feeding master-cards thereacross; and mechanism for automatically supplying individual master-cards one after another to said feeding device, said attachment being removable bodily from said operator to enable a separate master-member to be fed directly across said primary tracker.

17. The combination, with an automatic machine operator, comprising a primary tracker, a plurality of pneumatic actuators controlled therefrom, and instrumentalities controlled by said actuators and including master-sheet-feeding mechanism; of an attachment for said operator, comprising a secondary tracker abutting against the primary tracker and having its apertures in register with those therein; a feeding device connected to be driven by said feeding mechanism and associated with the secondary tracker; an actuator, separate from the firstnamed actuators, connected directly to and controlled solely from the secondary tracker; and a master-member cooperating directly with said secondary tracker.

19. The combination, with a series of actuators; of a primary tracker from which said actuators may be controlled; a secondary tracker connected with the rimary tracker; a device for feeding individual mastersheets one after another across the secondary tracker; a device for supplying the individual master-sheets to said feeding device; and an actuator, separate from the firstnamed actuators, connected directly to and controlled solely from the secondary tracker for operating said supplying device.

20. The combination, with a series of actuators; of a primary tracker from which said master-cards one after another to said.

feeder; and locking means for preventin the action of said card-substitutor until sai feeder has been thrown out of action.

22. The combination, with a tracker, and pneumatic actuators connected therewith; of a device for feeding master-cards across the tracker to control said actuators; driving connections for said feeder; a card-substitutor for supplying the individual mastercards one after another to said feeder; driving connections for said card-substitutor;

and a lock for preventing the bringing into play of the second-named driving connections until the first-named driving connections have been thrown out of action.

23. In an automatic machine operator, the combination, with a tracker, and pneumatic actuators controlled therefrom and connected with the parts of the machine to be operated; of mechanism for automatically feeding individual master-members one after another across said tracker; and recording mechanism brought into play automatically during the eriod of activity of each master-member or making a significant mark or sign thereon.

24. In an automatic machine 0 erator, the combination, with a tracker, an pneumatic actuators controlled therefrom and connected with the parts of the machine to be operated; of master-member-feeding means associated with said tracker; automaticallyoperated means for periodically supply ng individual master-members to said feeding means; and recording mechanism brought into play automatically at eachoperat onof said supplying means for making a slgmficant mark or sign on the successive mastermembers.

25. The combination with a card-subst1- tutor, of a card-feeder, a pneumatic actuator for enabling the action of said cardsubstitutor, a lock for preventing the actlon of said pneumatic actuator, driving connections for said card-feeder, and means actuated by the silencing of said drivmg connections for releasing said lock to permit the action of said pneumatic actuator.

26. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for placing a telltale inscription on said master-member, said master-member and said printing means acting in conjunction, and variable means for changing the longitudinal position of the inscription on said master-member, whereby a row of different inscriptions can be placed on said master-member.

27. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling said automatic operator, printing means for placing a telltale inscription on said master-member, said master-member and said printing means being interdependent in their actions, and transverse adjusting means for said printing means, whereby transverse rows of inscriptions can be placed on said master-member.

28. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for inscribing on said master-member at a predetermined period in the action of said operator, adjustable means for varying the point of printing on said mastermember, and a scale for indicating the particular position of the printing of the inscription on said master-member.

29. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlable means for varying the instant of action of said printing means.

30. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for impressing on said master-member a telltale inscription, a cam for determining the action of said printing means, and means for varying the position of said cam.

31. The combination with anautomatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for impressing on said master-member a telltale inscription, a cam for determining the action of said printing means, and means for reciprocating said cam said cam being pivotally mounted so as to beeffective in one direction and inefl'ective in the opposite direction of its movement.

32. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling said operator, printing means for placing an inscription on said master-member, a cam for determining the action of said printing means, a support for said cam, said cam being pivotally mounted on said support, a stop for limiting the movement of said cam in one direction, and a spring for permitting an ineffective movement of said cam in another direction.

33. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for placing an inscription on said mastermember, a cam for determining the action of said printing means, a support for said cam, a member of said operator having a traveling movement and also having a series of apertures therein, and means engagin said aperture for adjustably mounting said support on said member, so as to vary the instant of operation of said printing means.

34. The combination with a master-member for controlling the action of an automatic operator, of a substitutor for 'replac ing one master-member for another, printing means for placing on each of said master-members a certain inscription, and connections between said substitutor and said printing means to enable said printing means to be actuated by said substitutor.

35. The combinationwith a tracker, of a master-member for codperating with said tracker, means for feeding said mastermember relative to said tracker, printing I means for placing on said master-member a certain inscription, and connections to enable said feeding means to operate said printing means.

36. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations on said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said 0 erator, for making a mark or si on sai master-member to indicate the ta ing place of such passage, said. printing means includin a type-carrier movable to readily accessib eposition, so that a type therein can be easily chan ed.

37. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations on said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master. member through said operator, for making a mark or si on said master-member to indicate the taking place of such passage, said printing means including a type-carrier, a guide therefor, and means for releasing said typecarrier from said guide, so as to face the type-bearing end of said carrier to a readily accessible position.

38. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations on said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for making a mark or sign on said master-member to indicate the taking place of such passage, said means including a type-carrier, a gulde with which said carrier is releasabl connected,

and spring means for automatically bring-' ing the type-bearing end of said carrier to a readily accessible position when said carrier is released from said guide.

39. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations on said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for making a mark or sign on said master-member to indicate the taking place of such passage, said printing means comprising a type-carrier which is adjustably mounted to enable the sign or mark to be made at different points on said master-member.

printing operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a-definite sequence of operations of said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for making a mark or sign on said master-member, sa1d printing means including a type-carrier, and spring means normally llOldlIl said carrier so that the type therein wil face said master-member and yet permit the carrier to swing with the traveling movement of said master-member, so as to form a clear impression on said master-member.

42. The combination, with an automatic operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations of said machine; and printing means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator, for making a mark or sign on said master -member, said printing means including a type-carrier, and guiding means normally tending to direct the type-bearing end of said carrier onto said master-member, but permitting a movement of said type-bearing end with said master-member at the instant of printing.

43. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master member for controlling said operator, and printing means for placing a telltale inscription on said mastermember; said printing means including a typecarrier, a spring for actuating said type-carrier, a spring for opposing the actuation of said first-mentioned spring, and means for overcoming the tension of said second-mentioned spring to permit the actuation of said type-carrier by said first-mentioned spring.

4:4. The combination, with an automatlc operator for a machine; of a master-member for controlling said operator so as to produce a definite sequence of operations of said machine; printing means, including a type-carrier, for placing a mark or sign on said master-member while the latter is in said operator; a spring for actuating said type-carrier; a lock for preventing the actuation of said spring; and means operated automatically during and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator for releasing said lock.

45. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, and printing means for placing on said master-member a telltale inscription; said printing means including a type-carrier, a spring for actuating said type-carrier, a spring for opposing the action of said first-mentioned spring, a guide for directing the movement h of sai I type-carrier, and spring means for yieldin 1y holding said type-carrier in a certain position relative to said mastermember.

46. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, and printing means for placin on said master-member a telltale inscrlption; said printing means including a type-carrier, a spring for actuating said type-carrier a lock for preventing the action of said spring, a spring for opposing the action of said rstmentioned spring, and means for conco n1- tantly releasing said lock and overcoming the opposition of said second-mentioned spring.

47. The combination with an automatic operator, of a master-member for controlling the action of said operator, printing means for placing on said master-member a telltale inscription, and means to enable said automatic operator to control the printing by said printing means on said master-member.

48. The combination with a master-member, of means for traversing said mastermember, and printing means actuated by said traversing means for placin a telltale inscription on said master-mem er during the travel thereof; said printing means including a type-carrier, and a gulde for said type-carrier having a dip therein to permit the movement of said type-carrier with said master-member at the instant of printing on said master-member.

49. The combination with a master-member, of means for traversing said masterduring and consequent upon the passage of the master-member through said operator.

51. The combination with a tracker, of a plurality of master-cards to cooperate with said tracker, feeding means for passing said cards by said tracker, a card-substitutor for replacing one card with another, driving connections to said card-feeding means, and. means for stopping said driving connections when said card-substitutor is in action.

52. The combination with operator mechanism, of a plurality of master cards for controlling said mechanism, a master-cardsubstitutor, a master-card feeder, and means for preventing the simultaneous driving of said feeder and said card-substitutor, the substitutor and feeder acting in alternation to advance each master card for and during its control of the operator mechanism.

53. The combination with an automatic operator for a. machine, of a plurality of master-members previously prepared to control said operator to reproduce each a different definite sequence of operations of said machine, and an automatic tell-tale mechanism for inscribing on each member as used to control said operator, matter which may designate the date on which each member was used to reproduce its predetermined sequence of operations of the machine or the character of work with which it was used,

or both.

LYMAN R. ROBERTS. Witnesses:

WALTER E. BARNARD, JAS. A. WOTTON, 2d. 

